Board approves termination notice for Turning Point contract as funding model shifts

The Madera County Board of Supervisors voted to issue a termination notice for county contract #131605 with Turning Point of Central California (Hope House and Mountain Wellness Center), effective July 18, 2026, after staff said changes to state funding rules prevent the county from continuing the services under the current grant model.

Sarah Boss, who presented the item on behalf of public health and behavioral health, said the state’s shift from the prior grant structure to the Behavioral Health Services Act on July 1 will mean the county can no longer pay for some prevention services as currently delivered. Boss said staff worked with Turning Point to find Medi-Cal-eligible alternatives and pursued an Innovation Partnership Fund grant, but Turning Point could not meet required deliverables under available funding. “We do need to move forward with terminating the contract because we have explored all of our available options,” Boss said.

Boss described a contingency plan to maintain drop-in centers’ core services — laundry, showers and social-connection referrals — by embedding mobile health staff and leveraging Medi-Cal-funded behavioral-health staff. If a grant is secured, staff said they would expand services; otherwise the program would start at a smaller scale and the county would pursue other funding streams.

The board approved the termination and adoption of an updated notice letter in a roll-call vote. The action gives Turning Point notice consistent with contract requirements and sets an effective termination date; staff said services will be transitioned and that drop-in centers will remain open in some form while alternative funding is sought.

Next steps: execute termination notice, proceed with contingency staffing and pursue grant and Medi-Cal funding to preserve core drop-in services.